With more than 100 applications from more than 30 different countries, we now present to you, the 21 young jazz musicians who will become the JM Jazz World 2019. They will perform under the artistic direction of Luis Diego Bonilla featuring Alex Sipiagin, John Riley, Dick Oatts, Joe Kaplowitz, Lela Kaplowitz, Goran Rukavina, Vladimir Samardžić…
Without further ado, we present the JM Jazz World 2019
Tuomas Talvi (Finland) - Bass
Tuomas is an enthusiastic Finnish bassist from the class of '98. He joins the JMJWO after showing excellent musicianship at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, where he studies.
Szecső Szendrődy (Hungary) - Drums
We met him at the drums of the JMJWO last year, now he is back with more licks from his sticks.
Manfredi Caputo (Italy) - Percussion
Living in the USA, born in Palermo (Italy) and influenced by Brazilian Rhythms, Manfredi joins us from Berklee College of Music.
Mindaugas Stumbras (Lithuania) - Guitar
The 23-year old Lithuanian guitarist is coming straight out from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where he currently expresses his creativity in a variety of styles.
Pablo Campos (Costa-Rica) - Piano
From Costa Rica to our keys, Pablo has a bachelor's degree in music with a speciality in Jazz and Caribbean music from the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico. He is currently part of the CCCN Jazz Orchestra in Costa Rica and will soon launch his first record as a jazz musician.
Frank Talbot (New Zealand) - Saxophone
He is one of New Zealand’s top jazz musicians and is the lead alto player in the new New Zealand Jazz Orchestra. Frank, 20 years old, has outstanding potential as a musician. As a saxophonist, Frank is an excellent reader and is developing one of the most exceptional jazz vocabularies of any young student in New Zealand.
Lucas Figueiredo Santana (Brazil) / Saxophone
This Brazilian saxophonist born in '93, has natured his talent beyond expectations and now is developing his career further at the jazz department of the Conservatory of Amsterdam.
Anna Gollien (Austria) / Saxophone
Anna Gollien is currently studying Baritone Saxophone at the Jazz Institut at Kunstuniversität Graz.She grew up in southern Styria – Austria and at the age of 9, she started to play the alto saxophone. She worked ambitiously on her skills on the baritone and became a member of the Jugendjazzorchester Steiermark, different saxophone ensembles and Big Bands. Her playing in Big Band line up is experienced and she is working towards some promising projects as a solo baritone saxophonist.
Ori Jacobson (Israel / Germany) / Saxophone
Ori is a brilliant 25 years old German artist with the tremendous potential to become an essential figure in the jazz/music scene soon. "He plays from his heart, gets inside of the music, and his improvisation has been consistently innovative, exciting, interesting and creative but always peaceful with a touch of Israeli influences." says professor Tiger Okoshi, from the Berklee College of Music where he studied for four years.
Matt Carmichael (Scotland) - Saxophone
"Fast becoming one of the leading lights in Scottish Jazz" - Tommy Smith, Matt Carmichael is a 20-year-old Scottish saxophonist who is described as ‘One to Watch in 2019’ by Jazzwise Magazine and ‘Commanding’ by The Times.
Alfredo Tauber (Chile) - Trombone
Class '94, Alfredo Tauber was one of the leading soloists of the Conchalí Big Band during the first half of the decade 2010. He is also a founding member of the Mapocho Orchestra, where plays in addition to his work as a musician and composer a teaching and cultural role performing concerts in educational venues throughout Chile.
Matteo Bassani (USA / Croatia) / Trombone
This Croatian American trombonist has studied at the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts, and in the last two years, he has been a jazz major at CU Boulder and a member Associate Professor Paul McKees' trombone studio.
Richard Šanda (Czech Republic) - Trombone
This Czech artist, born in '94, has been playing in big bands since a very young age, he played in Czech Radio Big Band Gustav Brom, Concept Art Orchestra, Big Band of JJ Conservatory led by Milan Svoboda and others. He also recorded a few CD. Two of theme were nominated for Czech "grammy", one CD won.
Nikola Ristevski (Macedonia) - Trombone
Nikola is a classically trained musician and very active on the Skopje music scene. After graduating from a conservatory education in Skopje, Nikola now plays in the Skopje Philharmonic Orchestra, the Macedonian Opera and Ballet and works on film music scores as a session musician and he was the member of JMI WorldJazz Orchestra last year.
Joan Mar Sauqué Vila (Spain) - Trumpet
"The mastering of the instrument is not easy to find. He is very mature, rhythm-wise his timefeel is admirable, his harmonical level is superb, his melodical concept is fantastic as well. He is great as a soloist and as a lead in a section, which is not easy to find, on the top of all this." These are the words used by Gustavo Bergalli to describe this young Spanish trumpeter.
Miles Lujan (USA) - Trumpet
He has been playing the trumpet since the seventh grade. His high school accomplishments include many years of playing in the Colorado All State Band and All State Jazz Band. Miles was invited as a senior in high school to join both the Symphonic and Jazz bands at UNC and recently just completed his major at CU Boulder in Jazz Performance playing in both the Thompson Jazz Studies Orchestra and student jazz combos.
Pilvi Kokkonen (Finland) - Trumpet
She is from Finland and is an all-around trumpet player, particularly able as high register and lead-trumpet. Pilvi has been a lead player at Junior All star big band in Finland and her school big band (OYJO).
Benny Troschel (Germany) - Trumpet
"As a trumpet player, Mr Troschel demonstrates a virtuosity and consistency on the instrument that is unique to players with a rigorous classical study. He led the band with a level of conviction and musicality that is infectious." - Andy Clausen, Artistic Director for Jazz at the New York Youth Symphony.
Patricija Škof (Slovenia) - Vocal
The voice of our group will come from Slovenia and is 23 years old. Her dedication to the music and her learning brought her to pass the admission exam and begin with her studies at KUG - Kunstuniversität Graz where she is currenly perfecting her craft.
Valdemar Kušan (Croatia) - Vocal, Trumpet
Valdemar has played and grown with the JMJWO over the years and we’re happy to have had him back in the band again. A product of the Zagreb jazz scene, Valdemar is currently studying his bachelors at KUB Graz.
In the period of 2004–2017 he has participated in Summer Jazz School in Groznjan (trumpet, vocal and big band workshops) and has been able to work with many outstanding teachers like John Thomas, Lasse Lidngren, Bosko Petrovic, Sigi Feigl, Luis Bonilla, Anna Lauvergnac, Ines Reiger, Deborah Brown, John Riley, Bruce Barth and many others.
Vid Jamnik (Slovenia) - vibraphone
Born in Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia in 1993, Vid Jamnik made his first official musical steps in 2001 in the music school in Ravne na Koroškem with professor Davorin Jevšnikar. At age 11, he attended a summer jazz school in Grožnjan, Croatia, where he met the legendary Yugoslav vibraphonist Boško Petrović, who immediately took the young musician under his wing.
Vid has performed with many renowned musicians and ensembles, including Jimmy Cobb, Georgie Fame, Jim Rotondi, Stefan Milenkovich, Simone Zanchini, David Gazarov, Gianni Basso, Dusko Goykovich, Arthur Lipner, the JMI Jazz World Orchestra under the direction of Luis Bonilla, and was a member of the Euroradio Jazz Orchestra 2017.